Author: Daily Sabah With Agencies

Ukrainian and Russian officials who held direct talks in Istanbul on Friday agreed in principle to resume negotiations for a cease-fire, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. Fidan, who chaired the talks between negotiators from Russia and Ukraine, said in a post on X after the two sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each that the move was intended as a confidence-building measure. He said the two sides would also share in writing their conditions for a cease-fire. He underlined the importance of Istanbul peace talks as Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a meeting in Istanbul aimed at…

Türkiye on Friday brought together Ukraine and Russia for the second time since the start of war in thanks to diplomatic efforts as part of the Istanbul peace talks. “We must seize this opportunity to advance on the path to peace,” Fidan said during his opening speech, addressing delegations from both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Turkish mediators. “Every day of delay is costing lives.” “While the war continues to take lives, it is of critical importance that the cease-fire be implemented as soon as possible,” he said. The talks must also work toward bringing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday is attending the sixth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) to address the continent’s most pressing issues, including the war in Ukraine and migration. The theme of the summit in Tirana is “New Europe in a new world: unity – cooperation – joint action.” The EPC forum is French President Emmanuel Macron’s brainchild, and was backed by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, aiming to boost security and prosperity across the continent. But critics claimed it was an attempt by them to put the brakes on EU enlargement. The 2022 inaugural summit involved the…

As global conflicts have surged and security has become a top agenda for the international community, a fairer system and transformation is needed in Europe and globally, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday. “As the European continent, we must start transformation at home based on principles of indivisible security, fairer distribution of prosperity,” Erdoğan said at the sixth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Albania. “At this critical time when we are discussing the future of Europe’s security, efforts by the EU to develop its defense industry are beneficial,” he added. The president had previously pointed to…

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed on the continuation of efforts for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine as they met in Türkiye on Thursday, diplomatic sources said. Rubio said the only way a breakthrough will happen in the efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine would be through direct talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow sent a second-tier team to talks taking place in Türkiye. Rubio, who spoke to reporters in Antalya, said he would travel to Istanbul for meetings on Friday with Fidan and a Ukrainian…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday hailed Türkiye’s diverse diplomatic contributions in efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as Kyiv geared up for peace negotiations in Istanbul. Zelenskyy’s remarks came following his talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. In Istanbul, delegations from Ukraine and Russia were set for the first direct talks between the sides since March 2022. “We had a very meaningful conversation at the highest level,” Zelenskyy said on social media platform X. “This is a very important signal – not only politically, but also personally, in terms of our friendship and Türkiye’s multifaceted support for…

The International Day of Families was marked on May 15 across Türkiye with a wide range of activities, including public walks and awareness events in most provinces. It is a day designated by the U.N. to highlight the importance of families as the fundamental units of society. Ankara has launched initiatives aimed at emphasizing the family as the foundation of social structure, to strengthen intergenerational bonds and to promote the 2025 “Year of the Family” declared by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. As part of this effort, Türkiye is expanding its interest-free marriage loan program nationwide, offering TL150,000 ($4,226) with a…

The International Day of Families was marked on May 15 across Türkiye with a wide range of activities, including public walks and awareness events in most provinces. It is a day designated by the U.N. to highlight the importance of families as the fundamental units of society. Ankara has launched initiatives aimed at emphasizing the family as the foundation of social structure, to strengthen intergenerational bonds and to promote the 2025 “Year of the Family” declared by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. As part of this effort, Türkiye is expanding its interest-free marriage loan program nationwide, offering TL150,000 ($4,226) with a…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Ankara on Thursday for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ahead of determining Kyiv’s position in upcoming peace negotiations with Russia. “We arrived,” a senior Ukrainian official told AFP. Moscow says delegations from Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to meet in Istanbul later Thursday for the first direct peace talks in more than three years. President Erdoğan will emphasise in talks with Zelenskyy Turkey’s view that there should be a cease-fire and peace talks without delay to end the war with Russia, his office said. He will discuss with Zelenskiy all aspects of…

Real Madrid didn’t win a title on Wednesday – but it won a matter of pride. Jacobo Ramon struck deep into stoppage time as Madrid clawed back to beat Mallorca 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, keeping Barcelona’s La Liga coronation on ice for at least another day. With the league all but lost, Madrid’s mission was singular: Don’t let Barça celebrate early. Mission accomplished – barely. Mallorca stunned the hosts with an 11th-minute opener from Martin Valjent, forcing Madrid into chase mode. The breakthrough came in the 68th minute, when Kylian Mbappe weaved through two defenders and slotted home the…